Newbie looking for advice

[SC_Bob]

So daddies little girl wants to play softball. I could not be more thrilled. I love baseball, softball and being with her.
I want to encourage but not push.
I want to help her practice but not be overbearing.
I want her to love baseball/softball they way I do!

I need advice on how one encourages a girl. She is 11 and is a good athlete in other sports.

She has been asked to pitch because she is one of the bigger girls, and she is a good athlete.

What do I do next? How do I properly encourage and help her?

 

[obbay]

Congratulations, welcome to the cult! I assume she will be playing rec ball, little league or similar and that's a good place to start.

I mean no disrespect by this next question: have you ever played or watched fastpitch softball ? It doesn't translate literally from baseball, it is different with many similarities.

Stay positive at all times, don't become critical. on the car ride home after the game, don't critique how she played but if she wants to talk about the game you can use this time for positive reinforcement . If you notice problems during a game that need to be worked on, don't bring those up until at least a day later, and then do it in a positive way- don't say you noticed a problem or mistake, say you saw something "we" can work on that will help her.

Play catch with her.
learn the basics of pitching and teach her

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Teach her proper overhand throw and hire a pitching coach. I can't tell you how important that is, before she ever pitches at practice.

During a game, do not coach from the lawn chair. Just cheer like you would for someone else's kid.

Read all that you can on hitting. Many old baseball players want rear elbow up, and knocker knuckles lined up. And I would have to reteach that, if she was coming to me.

The bat that she will need might be something like a 31 inch long and weigh 21 ounces. (That is considered a drop or -10).

Also, be aware that this is an expensive sport. You don't have to spend $300.00 on a bat, right now. But you might, eventually. Also, tell your relatives that they will never see you again, as long as it is softball season.

Have fun.

 

[sluggers]

I want to encourage but not push.
I want to help her practice but not be overbearing.
I want her to love baseball/softball they way I do!

The bottom line is that it is up to HER to decide what SHE wants to do with HER athletic ability. Then, you, as a parent, support her decision and remind her of the commitments that *SHE* (not you) made.

Generally, you ask, "What do you want to do as far as softball is concerned?" You are going to have to prod her a little for her to tell you what she really wants to do. Once you get that out of her, then you set up practices to fit her goals.

E.g., if she says, "I just want to play a little softball in the summer", then that means you don't practice a lot. If she say, "I want to play softball for UCLA", then that means she has to practice every day for 2 hours.

As long as she is doing what she decided she wants to do, then you are OK. It isn't nagging to say, "You said you wanted to play for UCLA. You said you were going to practice every day. So, you have to practice today." Kids are kids, and they are not always going to want to do what they said they were going to do, so you as a parent will need to push.

As to "loving softball"--that is up to her. Not all kids enjoy it. It is too slow for a lot of kids. Some girls do, and some girls don't. My oldest DD loved the game. My other two DDs didn't. My youngest loved basketball more than softball.

 

[SoftSocDad]

So daddies little girl wants to play softball. I could not be more thrilled. I love baseball, softball and being with her.
I want to encourage but not push.
I want to help her practice but not be overbearing.
I want her to love baseball/softball they way I do!

I need advice on how one encourages a girl. She is 11 and is a good athlete in other sports.

She has been asked to pitch because she is one of the bigger girls, and she is a good athlete.

What do I do next? How do I properly encourage and help her?

As a fellow parent and citizen of the world, I appreciate your honesty. But I absolutely hate parents who start from a position of wanting their kids to love what the parents love. It's one thing to insist that your child have a strong work ethic, be a team player, and love her country, but quite another to think she'll somehow be better off for enjoying the same things you do. Maybe at age 3-4, I could see parents trying to influence the kids' decisions, but by 11, she is (or should be) very much her own person.

It's good to have high expectations, but just as with baseball, a lot of really good athletes do not stick with softball. Like Sluggers noted, it's a very slow game, especially in most rec leagues. Don't be surprised if she tries it for a year or two and then moves on to something else.

As far as pitching is concerned, I recommend attending a clinic or getting at least 1-2 lessons with a competent instructor who can show your daughter the basics. Either you or her mom (or both) should pay attention, too. And then just encourage her to throw as often as possible. Unless she's a natural, I think beginners need to throw 5-6 days a week.

Learn what proper pitching form is and have her strive for that on every pitch. Do not let her worry about where the ball ends up, because pitching just to get the ball over in the strike zone will hinder her long-term development as a pitcher. If she's interested in being a pitcher, then approach it as something she'll likely be doing for a few years.

And if she doesn't want to pitch, then encourage her to play catcher and/or 3B.

No matter what happens, just stay positive and you both will be fine. And if she does show real promise in the sport, let her know it and if she shows a real interest in pursuing a longer playing career, then you absolutely should encourage that and let her know the things that will be necessary to get to the level she hopes to play at someday.

Good luck, and welcome to the club.

 

[KevinC]

My two cents, in order of importance:

1. Remember if it stops being fun and becomes work you shouldn't be doing it.
2. Get her to all her practices and games so she gets the most out of the season.
3. Offer to take her to any extra clinics your organization may have.
4. Offer to play catch, work on skills, etc. at home whenever you both have time - but don't push it if she says she doesn't want to.
5. Get some equipment like a tee, hitting / pitching net, etc. if she's interested in more practice at home.
6. If she's serious about getting better at pitching or hitting (e.g., say's yes every time you offer to work with her) consider pitching or hitting lessons.
7. If she really gets into it and you can make the committment consider a club or travel team.